The short answer
On a vented machine of this generation the duct is part of the appliance, and a cycle that ends wrong is usually the duct telling you so. Ranked first on this platform: A restricted exhaust. The checks below follow that ranking, and the first of them need no tools and no panel removed.
What you observe
- The cycle ends early and the load is still damp and warm — Warm and damp together is heat without airflow.
- Drying has got gradually worse with a filter that is emptied every load — A clean-looking filter that behaves like a blocked one is a film.
- The behaviour is consistent and wrong rather than intermittent — Consistency points at a sensor rather than at a connection.
- NEAR MISS — only heavy items are still damp — Mixed loads dry at different rates, and a towel in with shirts will always be the last thing dry.
Causes, most likely first on this platform
- A restricted exhaust — A dryer works by carrying moisture out of the drum in moving air. It ranks first on this platform because this machine dries by carrying moisture out in moving air, so a blocked or over-long duct leaves the air saturated — the machine heats, cuts out on temperature, and the cycle ends with warm damp clothes still in the drum.
- A loaded lint filter, or one with a film on it — A filter that looks clean can still be blocked: fabric softener and dryer sheets leave an invisible film across the mesh that halves the airflow. It ranks second here because the dryer is a vented machine with a belt-driven drum turning on felt seals and plastic glides, every one of which is a consumable part.
- A thermostat or thermistor reading wrong — The machine decides when to heat and when to stop from what its temperature sensors report. It sits third because the causes above it account for more of these cases, not because it is unlikely.
- An intermittent door switch — The machine stops the moment it thinks the door has opened. Ranked fourth: worth checking once the causes above have come back clean.
Check in this order, and why
- Feel the airflow at the outside vent hood while the machine runs — Weak airflow outside with a hot drum inside is the whole diagnosis. It leads because it tests the top-ranked cause.
- Hold the filter under a running tap and see whether water passes straight through — Water sitting on the mesh is the finding. Tests the second-ranked cause.
- Establish whether the fault is repeatable on every cycle — A repeatable fault is measurable; an intermittent one usually is not. Tests the third-ranked cause.
What an owner can safely check
- Disconnect and clear the duct, and check the outside flap opens fully — Rigid duct beats flexible, and short beats long.
Tools: screwdriver, vacuumAbout 30 min
- Wash the filter in warm soapy water with a soft brush and dry it fully before refitting — Do this every few months, not once.
Tools: soft brushAbout 15 min
- STOP before anything behind a fixed panel, and note what each check showed — Everything past this line is measured rather than looked at, and measuring it safely needs the power off and a meter.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the dryer or switch off its breaker before removing any panel; on a gas machine close the gas shut-off valve too.
When to call a technician
Call when the vent, the filter and the load have all been eliminated and the cycle still ends wrong, because what remains is a sensor, a thermistor or a control and all three are measured rather than looked at.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page is written for the Moffat dryer as a class, not for one family or one model line. Where a family- or model-specific page exists for your unit, that page is the more specific answer and the one to read first. Deliberately not here: part numbers, wiring colours and disassembly order, which differ by family.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
